


A Rose By Any Other Name

by Gemology



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Crystal Gems, Eventual Romance, F/F, Female Friendship, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Human, I Ship It, Lesbian Character, Platonic Romance, Romance, Shipping
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-09
Updated: 2017-02-10
Packaged: 2018-08-14 01:11:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7993105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gemology/pseuds/Gemology
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pearl meets someone who finally opens her eyes to what Rose saw in this little planet called Earth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Pearl stared down at the "code" written on the slip of paper in her hand. If she thought talking to the stranger she'd met just a few days earlier in person was tough, for some reason the idea of not being able to see her seemed even more daunting.

Of course, she had the option to not call. She could simply throw the slip of paper in the trash and forget about everything that had happened. How clumsy she'd been when she first laid eyes on her. How foolish she probably looked. How beautiful her eyes were and the way she laughed and-

There was no way Pearl would forget her.

She couldn't deny that the timing was right too. Steven was out with Connie, Garnet on a solo mission, and Amethyst in her room, probably taking a nap. She had the whole house to herself, with no one to disturb her phone call with the pink haired beauty named-

Pearl looked down at the paper again, realizing that she had never even bothered to get the girl's name. Had she even introduced herself properly? Pearl realized that perhaps she had never before introduced herself to a human. She was very used to knowing gems simply by whatever type they were. She didn't usually have to ask what someone's name was. Perhaps she shouldn't call after all. She had no idea what she was doing with this whole 'talking to humans' thing.

And yet, she was still in the kitchen, and she found herself absently sitting on the counter next to the phone on the wall, her legs dangling over the edge despite their length. She breathed in air she didn't need and then let it out again, grabbing the phone and hurriedly dialing the number before she lost her nerve.

It seemed to be taking ages for anyone to answer, and Pearl was just about to chicken out and hang up when a "Yo!" was heard from the other line.

"H-hello!" Pearl looked down at the number again, trying to remember if she'd actually dialed it correctly or if she'd somehow gotten it wrong. "Is this ah-" scanning the paper, she remembered that there was no name on it, only a mysterious _"S."_

"I mean, this is, ah, Pearl. We met at the Krol concert the other night?" she nervously twisted the cord in her fingers. Had she been human, her heart would have been pounding loud enough for the woman on the other end of the line to hear. She couldn't understand why something so trivial as talking with someone else made her head feel all fuzzy and her hands grow cold and for some reason, she could feel her cheeks turning a deep blue.

"Oh hey, yeah!" Pearl could hear the cheerfulness in her voice. "Pearl, was it? I didn't catch your name at the concert. I'm Sheena, by the way."

"Sheena is a wonderful name." Pearl replied truthfully. "It was very nice to meet you. Sorry you had to see me being chased by the police. That was an unintended addition to the night's events."

The voice on the other end laughed. "Haha, well, that does happen sometimes. Can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs, and can't have a good time without breaking a few laws!"

Pearl briefly wondered just what kind of person she was getting involved with. Then again, she was still technically a fugitive from Homeworld and continued to break all of their laws simply by living as she pleased and making her own choices. Why couldn't some humans also live outside the predetermined rules of some higher power?

"Took you long enough to call me!" Pearl's thoughts were interrupted as Sheena continued. "You like making a girl wait?"

Pearl stumbled over her words as she attempted to answer. "Wha- I- No- I-I've just been busy fighting monsters and continuing to protect the planet Earth and all of humanity."

Sheena's voice sounded much less amused than any other time Pearl had heard her. "Pearl, you don't have to make up stories to try to impress me. Why don't we hang out so I can get to know the real you?"

"Hang… out?" Pearl knew that Amethyst had used the term before, but it's actual meaning was escaping her. All she could think about was the first time she'd laid eyes on the person whose voice was now speaking to her from the other end of the phone.

"Yeah, I mean, that's why you called, right? I want to see you again, you want to see me again." Sheena replied.

"Oh, yes, of course!" Pearl hadn't really considered that they'd meet up again, but she supposed that would only be natural. Of course it would be. It only made sense that Pearl would have another chance to embarrass herself in front of this human who she barely knew and yet felt oddly drawn to.

"So where do you live?" Sheena asked casually.

"I live in Beach City, in the big temple by the ocean." Pearl said, matter-of-factly, as if everybody knew exactly where she might be talking about. Pearl was used to only dealing with the citizens of Beach City, so it didn't occur to her that there were humans who had no idea about the existence of the gem temple.

"Wow, beach front property?" she whistled. "Fancy schmancy!" she laughed again, in that way that made Pearl's face feel hot, all the way up to her ears. "I live in the next town over, but I used to pass through there all the time. Used to work in Ocean Town, before the accident. I've seen that place you described before. Didn't think anybody lived there though."

Pearl glanced out the window, knowing that just below lay bits and pieces of the temple, which was falling apart after thousands of years. She supposed the area might look a bit abandoned to any who wasn't a Beach City inhabitat. "We gems have lived here for over 5,000 years-"

"Alright, save the backstory for when we meet up." Sheena interrupted, but she sounded amused. "Are you free tonight?"

"Y-Yes I am!" Pearl replied quickly, although she hadn't expected that she'd be meeting up with the pink haired woman again so soon. Should she phase herself a new outfit? Maybe Amethyst would have some fashion tips-

"Let's meet at that Big Donut place? That coffee I had before the concert was way better than what I thought I'd get from a dinky donut shop in that small town." Sheena sounded impressed.

"Maybe there's a lot more to Beach City than you know." Pearl replied coyly.

"Maybe there's a lot more to you than I know." she replied, equally as coy. "But I'd like to find out."

"It's an engagement then!" Pearl had wanted to avoid saying the word "date", since that wasn't really what it would be. Dating was a human custom, and besides, she barely knew this person. But her reply came out much more fanciful than she had anticipated.

"Wow, meet up with a girl once and you don't even have to date her to be engaged!" Sheena joked.

"That's not what I-"

Sheena interrupted, "Pearl, you have got to loosen up a bit! Come on, I saw you running from the cops, I know you've got it in you to be chill."

"I can chill!" Pearl insisted.

"Great! Then come 'chill' with me tonight at 5 at The Big Donut." Sheena said smoothly.

"Gah- okay!" Pearl quickly replied, still unsure of herself. _New Pearl, No Plan._ She thought to herself. She needed to stop thinking and just start doing!

"Cool. I'll see you tonight then. Later, Pearl!"

"Um, bye!" Pearl slammed the phone against the receiver, harder than she meant to. She almost couldn't believe it. She was going out tonight. With a human. A human that slightly resembled Rose Quartz, no less. But she could do it. "New Pearl" could do this.


	2. Chapter 2

Pearl had never quite understood the human concept of time. Gems didn't sleep they didn't eat, and they didn't really need to live anywhere, so they didn't need jobs. There was never anything to be on time or late for. There was simply existing in the present time, and the present moment.

But, with Steven came the need for learning to tell time. There was bedtime, and mealtimes, and times when it might be dangerous to be outside, and it was even important to pay attention to day and night time passing by, because sometimes Steven would be gone for several of them in a row, when most of the time he came home every day and slept in his bed.

Yet there were some humans, like Greg, who seemed to absolve themselves of the human concept of time. He, much like the gems, seemed to find it unnecessary, while most humans considered the ability to have and tell time a necessity. Perhaps that was part of the reason that he had gotten along so well with Rose. He behaved much like the gems did on Earth, with his nonchalant way of living and general disregard for needing a home and sometimes a disregard for needing to eat, although much like Amethyst he seemed to have a high regard for sleeping.

There were many human things that were interesting, but normally Pearl did not find "time" to be one of them. Frankly, humans had always been of little interest to Pearl. Yes, she'd helped save the planet Earth, but it was not for the sake of humans. Without the entire ecosystem of Earth, humans would not be able to live, and so it wasn't enough to simply save one species and let Homeworld have the rest. And though Pearl could see the value in protecting a planet that could not protect itself, it was her love of Rose Quartz and her want for her own freedom that drove her save it.

But there were many things, many _feelings_ , happening inside herself, that Pearl could not quite explain. She couldn't explain why she'd been staring at a clock for three hours. She couldn't explain why she kept replaying in her mind the first time she'd seen Sheena enter The Big Donut, or the conversation she'd had with her at the concert. Everything from the way she walked to the way she talked to what she was wearing and everything she'd said and the way her hair looked kept filling Pearl's mind with visions of a person that she barely even knew, and yet couldn't get her mind off of.

Consumed with her thoughts and watching the hands tick around the clock like she already had for hours, Pearl failed to hear the temple door open as Amethyst appeared. She was stretching her arms, much as she did after her naps, and headed for the kitchen for an afternoon snack, as was also usual. She passed Pearl on her way to the fridge, who was perched upon a kitchen stool and seemed to be staring off into space.

Amethyst opened up the fridge, then turned toward Pearl. "What's up, P?" Amethyst broke the oval gem from her thoughts.

"Ah, nothing, Amethyst! Just sitting in the kitchen alone, like I usually do!" Pearl wove her hands together and set them down on the counter, trying to smile as if nothing was amiss.

Amethyst thought about this statement for a few moments, trying to recall if sitting alone in the kitchen was a normal one of Pearl's weird habits. She supposed it wasn't the first time she'd caught Pearl sitting alone somewhere in the house, staring off into space, and probably thinking about Rose. But she could tell the smile was fake. Which was also normal of Pearl to pretend that everything was just fine and nobody needed to worry about her. But Amethyst worried, a lot more than she usually let on.

"Are you okay?" she abandoned her quest for a snack, shutting the refrigerator door and opting to lean on the counter opposite of Pearl. Her curious expression was laced with the slightest hint of concern. Recently, she had been taking more of an interest in Pearl's well being, and the feeling was mutually returned whenever Pearl noticed that Amethyst wasn't doing well. They had both taken quite a blow when Rose Quartz left, but for a long time neither of them had bothered to talk to each other about it. The two of them were like that. Always putting on a brave face and pretending everything was fine. But it was becoming harder to keep up the façade, and they'd both noticed, and more often than not had no choice but to talk about it, and perhaps that was what was prompting both of them to finally move on.

"Everything is fine!" Pearl replied quickly. She noticed that Amethyst was wasn't buying her brief response, and was waiting for her to elaborate, so she gave in. "Okay. The truth is…" Pearl looked around the kitchen for a way that she might not have to explain things to Amethyst, but she knew there was no getting out of it now. "I'm going out tonight."

Amethyst practically jumped on top of the counter in excitement. "Going out? Like where?!" It was one thing for Amethyst to invite Pearl to go out, but for Pearl to "go out" of her own volition? Maybe that whole "new Pearl" thing she'd been talking about was for real, and wasn't just a one night thing.

"Out with- ahem, out to meet that girl I met at the concert." Pearl folded her hands and sat up straighter, suddenly proud of her accomplishment of setting up an engagement with a human and successfully interacting with someone in person AND over the phone.

"Woah, you actually called her?" Amethyst's mouth was agape. "How'd it go?"

"It was a very pleasant conversation, Amethyst." Pearl almost grew giddy as she thought about how well it had gone once they got over the initial introductions. "Her name is Sheena. We're meeting up tonight at The Big Donut."

"And then what?" Amethyst leaned over the counter, eager to learn more about Pearl's first real positive interaction with a human she'd personally chosen to talk to. She'd been more tolerant of Greg recently, but given the choice a few decades earlier, she would have thrown him over the fence without a second thought, and been perfectly happy to never see him again. But Sheena, Sheena was someone that Pearl had willingly approached of her own will, not just once, but twice so far. Not counting the time she sped past her while on the run from the police.

Pearl thought for a moment. "She wants to know more about me, and I suppose I'll learn more about her."

"That's it?!" The purple gem threw up her arms in disbelief. "Pff, Boringville! She didn't invite you for a ride on her motorcycle? Imagine it, two chicks living it up, chasing the road by moonlight, no ties to anybody, free to do as they pleased!" she spread her hands across the air, as if trying to paint a picture of the scene she described.

Pearl blushed at the thought of riding on a motorcycle with the attractive Sheena. No destination, wind blowing through their hair, bodies almost flush against one another, an empty road ahead of them and a past full of memories behind them. "It's a nice thought, Amethyst. But I'm not sure I'm ready for that kind of adventure. Yet."

"What happened to 'new Pearl, no plan'?'" Amethyst teased.

"Old Pearl is still here in full force." Pearl replied with a smile.

Amethyst returned to the fridge to continue her search for snacks. "You should get going. Don't want to be late for your date!"

"It is _not_ a date!" Pearl insisted, glancing at the clock to see that Amethyst was probably right.

"Whatever you say, Pierogi!" Amethyst winked as she dropped various food items all over the counter, no doubt to make some sort of sandwich that would be unfit for a human to eat.

And though Pearl had said it, she didn't know if she herself believed it wasn't a date. Did Sheena think it was a date? Pearl briefly considered sticking around so she could clean up Amethyst's mess, but she knew if she did that she'd be late. And though Pearl did not value time, she knew that humans did, and she knew that being late was rude and frowned upon in human society.

So she did as Amethyst suggested, heading off toward The Big Donut. She didn't know what the night might hold for her, but she kept mentally repeating the new phrase she'd come up with for herself. _New Pearl, no plan._


	3. Chapter 3

Naturally, Pearl would be the first to arrive. Even if time was frivolous to gems, she was still determined to be punctual. She seated herself at one of the outdoor tables, always keen to enjoy the nature and wonders of Earth.

While she waited, she questioned her motives in all of this. What was she doing? Why was she meeting up with a human? Humans had never interested her before. Why was this one so different? Why had Pearl been willing to abandon everything she believed about traffic laws and road safety, just for the sake of one simple human?

Rose Quartz had befriended hundreds of humans, but Pearl never quite saw the point. All humans seemed the same to her. Yes, the gems had saved the species, good for them. Even humans worked to save creatures that were weaker than themselves. It seemed to be the natural order of Earth, for the weak to protect the strong, even for those who were not born on the planet. But a human lifespan could never compare to that of a gem. No amount of knowledge or technological advancement could make them immortal. Yes, the species itself thrived, countless humans were born every day, and countless humans also died. They were so fragile, and yet had somehow managed to survive the gem war and populate the entire world in the short span of a few thousand years. Perhaps there was more to them than Pearl had ever cared to find out. Perhaps Rose Quartz had seen what that "more" was.

In typical Pearl fashion, she did not notice the arrival of her new human friend until she heard the scraping of chair legs along the concrete. She jumped, thrown out of her thoughts, and bumped the underside of the table with her knees. It didn't hurt, Pearl had been through far worse, but she had a strong desire to impress her new friend, and being startled enough to nearly knock a table over certainly wasn't going to make a great impression.

Sheena tried to pretend not to notice, but gave herself away with a laugh, despite trying to cover her mouth. Pearl blushed at the sound, although she wasn't entirely sure why. All humans laughed. Gems laughed. Why did the sound this pink haired girl made make Pearl's cheeks feel hot, and her body quiver. She couldn't ever recall feeling this nervous, even before she was about to go out on the battlefield. She was well versed in war tactics and sword fighting, but when it came humans, Pearl found herself wholly unprepared. And what a great time to figure out that she didn't know what she was doing, the moment Sheena arrived!

"You always wear that?" Sheena pointed to Pearl's outfit, settling down in the seat across from Pearl. Pearl realized that she'd probably just been staring dumbly for who knew how long, but she hoped it hadn't been obvious.

"Well, I usually alter it when I regenerate every few hundred years, although I can shapeshift something new for a short period of time, or even put on physical human clothing items if desired. But yes, this is my typical form of appearance." Pearl folded her hands in front of herself on the table, surprisingly eager to talk to this woman and teach her about gems. Perhaps her time with Steven and Connie and even Greg had taught Pearl that there was more to humans than she initially thought.

"So are you like… a hipster or something?" Sheena asked.

"A what?" Pearl cocked her head to the side questioningly, unsure of what kind of creature that was. "My appearance is a manifestation of light used to create the illusion of a body through which my gem can take on a physical form."

"I guess not then." she grinned back. She seemed to be thinking for a moment, and Pearl wondered if she should ask something, and then she realized she didn't have any idea what to ask, but before the silence grew too long, Sheena continued. "Mmm… Pearl, if we're going to be friends, I need you to be honest with me. I don't want you to make up stories to try to impress me or think you're cool or something. I already think you're cool."

"You do?" she blushed, eyes going all starry, and became so flustered she had to look away, rubbing a hand on the back of her neck in embarrassment.

Sheena leaned back in her chair, propping her feet up on the table. "Yeah! Why do you think I gave you my phone number? And why I invited you out for coffee? I like you, Pearl. At least, I think I do. But I need to know who the real you is. Do you… not feel like you can be real with me?" She gave a questioning shrug.

Pearl pondered for a moment. She had been trying to be honest the whole time. But She wasn't exactly sure what Sheena meant by being "real." The two of them were both real, though one was made of organic matter and one was made of light. So how much more "real" could she be?

"Let's just start with the basics." Sheena continued, when Pearl only looked thoughtful and didn't offer a response. "Where were you born?"

Pearl perked up at such an easy question. "I, like many gems, was born on the gem Homeworld. It's far outside of your solar system. Few humans have heard of it, since it's a gem controlled planet and has been for thousands of years. It really only concerned your species during the war 5,000 years ago."

Sheena grew silent for awhile, seeming to analyze Pearl, as if she wasn't sure whether to believe this new story or not. There were two options - Pearl was a really bad compulsive liar, or she was a completely truthful being who just happened to have a very complicated past. She decided on the latter. "So you're like... an alien from another planet?"

"Yes!"

"Who's been living in Beach City?"

"Uh-huh!"

"Since forever?"

"Well, not quite forever. About 6,000 Earth years or so. And we were there long before it was called Beach City, although we didn't have a name for it before then. After the war we built the temple, and the remainder of our forces has lived there ever since and continued to protect humanity!" Pearl threw a triumphant fist in the air, remembering all the battles she'd fought to bring peace to the Earth during the war, and all the battles against gem monsters she'd help win since then. She grinned back triumphantly at Sheena, both from her memories, and at the fact that she finally seemed to be understanding her.

"That's pretty far out." Sheena nodded like she understood something Pearl hadn't even said.

"Yes, my home planet is very far away from Earth." Pearl responded, slightly confused by Sheena's reaction but trying to pretend she wasn't.

She laughed at that, and Pearl felt as if there was some kind of joke she was missing. She blushed and smiled, all the same, trying to pretend as if she had actually been trying to be funny. And also relieved that Sheena seemed to be enjoying herself, because for some reason that was suddenly important to Pearl.

"Hey listen." Sheena removed her feet and leaned across the table to grab Pearl's hands in her own. "It was great getting to know you. You're very different from who I thought you'd be. Not in a bad way. Why don't you stop by my place some time? You could learn a bit about me." she smiled as she looked deep into Pearl's eyes.

The gem found herself blushing again for the the umpteenth time that evening. "I think that… I would like that very much." she pulled her hands away and soon found herself fiddling with her hair.

"Great!" Sheena stood up, and Pearl felt that it was all too soon for them to say goodbye. "I'll call you this week and give you the address? Sound cool?"

Pearl didn't know if she wanted to see this human again, let alone if she wanted to go to her place of residence. It all seemed like very human customs, and yet, a part of Pearl tugged at her, drew her like a magnet towards this human, in a way no homosapien ever had. Pearl couldn't explain it, but this all seemed like a perfect fit to her new motto. _New Pearl, no plan._

"Yes! Definitely sounds 'cool'." Pearl stood up and reached out a hand to shake Sheena's, in the same fashion as their first meeting had started.

Sheena lightly giggled at the overly formal greeting, but shook Pearl's hand anyway. "I'll call you then!" she turned away, waving goodbye with her back turned. Pearl watched her go, already anxious about the growing space between them. She would have rather accompanied Sheena home, made sure she got there safely, perhaps guarded her house from danger during the night. But she pushed those feelings down, they all felt crazy and confusing, everything felt like too much at once. Pearl stood outside The Big Donut, until long after Sheena had departed from sight, still thinking about this very mysterious human that made her actually curious about the species for what felt like the first time.


	4. Chapter 4

Pearl could be found pacing around the house many times that week. Human lives were so fragile, literally anything could happen to Sheena. Her house could catch on fire and she could be trapped inside. She could go for a swim in the ocean and drown. She could crash on her motorcycle and be in a hospital. She could get hit by a vehicle while walking around outside and meet her demise. She could trip and fall and hurt herself and bleed out or- or- or-

But this was so silly! Humans died all the time, it was just part of what their species did. Sure, as a whole they were pretty resilient, but individually there were many dangers stacked against them. Yet, though many died, more were born, and their numbers increased every day. Sheena was just as prone to danger as other humans.

So why did it suddenly matter to Pearl what happened to a single human? She had known many humans who had died in the war. She had met many humans who Rose was friends with over hundreds of years. She knew all of their fates would eventually end the same, yet she had never bothered to be overly concerned with their mortality. She knew that even her pupil Connie would eventually die some day, and yet, that didn't seem to concern her as much as Sheena did.

Amethyst and Garnet didn't seem to pay much attention, and whenever Steven asked Pearl would say she was "just thinking" and scamper off to her room. She had tried meditating. She'd tried re-organizing her swords. She even asked Amethyst if she could take care of some of the clutter in her room, but of course the quartz strongly denied the request.

Missions seemed more difficult. When she was away, she was worried she'd miss a call from Sheena. When she was at home, all she could do was sit and think about her. None of it made any sense.

Pearl had thought as often about Rose Quartz as she was now thinking about this human. Of course, Rose had been nearly immortal, as all gems were. Becoming attached wouldn't have had any negative consequences. Pearl had always planned to go wherever Rose did, always by her side. But when she was with Greg, she was off somewhere Pearl had never been, and when Steven was born, went somewhere that she could not follow. And this human, when her time on Earth was over, would also go somewhere that Pearl could not follow.

So why did Pearl have such a desire to make sure that Sheena's life was long and happy and meaningful?

Maybe because human lives were so short, and so simple. For gems, life just went on, and on, for hundreds and thousands of years. Happiness was found in the moments they shared together. Sadness was found in remembering those they had lost. Gems didn't put much stock in material possessions or a place to call home. Those were very human things.

And yet, some part of each Crystal Gem was human. On Homeworld, everyone served a purpose. They fulfilled their purpose without complaint, and if there was complaint, those that dared to deny their purpose were taken care of. Everything was orderly. Robotic. Emotionless. Here on Earth, gems were free. Free to feel things. Free to befriend who they wanted. Free to go where they wanted. Free to do what they wanted. Free to love whomever they pleased. Pearl had loved Rose, and Rose had loved humans, some more than others. She didn't seem to mind that they would come and go, either by their own choice or by the embrace of mortality. Pearl minded even less.

What made Sheena different? Pearl wracked her mind for any answer. Why did she suddenly care so much? Was it her hair? Was it her smile? Was it her air of coolness? Was it her recklessness? It was all of it. It really was ALL of it.

Perhaps all along Pearl had been missing something whenever she looked at humans. Some hidden secret that Rose and even Amethyst saw. Something about them that was intriguing, fascinating, and lovable. Was Rose really the only reason that Pearl had helped to save the Earth? Had Pearl ever previously cared for humans at all? And why did one suddenly seem to alter her whole perspective?

These were questions Pearl did not have answers for. Perhaps a gem like Amethyst would know more about such feelings. She had been more open to humans ever since Beach City was founded. She seemed to prefer their company over that of the gems. She'd even taken to Steven more readily than Pearl or Garnet. Perhaps after her next meeting with Sheena, she would, for the first time in her life, seek Amethyst's advice on something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! I'm very sorry this chapter is so short. :( I've been working on the next one but I've hit writers block with it. Very soon!


	5. Chapter 5

Her experience with human homes was limited to that of the temple. Or rather, the house that now surrounded the temple, where Steven had lived since he was a toddler. But in all her time on Earth, she'd visited very few human establishments, and even less human residences. Steven helped give her directions to the address that Sheena had indicated. Humans were surprisingly organized when it came to marking their homes. They really had evolved so much farther than Pearl had bothered to notice, even in all her time on Earth.

She rang the doorbell when she arrived, briefly fiddling with the hem of her shirt, but knowing it's form wouldn't change. Maybe she should have put on some of those jeans before coming over here. Human fashion wasn't exactly her strong suit. Amethyst would have probably been happy to help, given her encouragement of Pearl at the concert.

"Hey Pearl!" she was startled from her thoughts by the familiar pink haired person standing in the doorway. "Don't you own any other outfits?" she joked, although it was a bit odd that she'd seen Pearl three times so far and she was always wearing the same thing.

"Well, ah, as I told you previously, my body is simply a manifestation of light." Pearl appeared flustered, feeling as if Sheena had read her mind about her insecurities regarding her choice- or lack thereof- of outfit. "I-I mean I _can_ wear other physical clothing items over it, or when my body needs to reform I can choose to change things up a bit. Of course, that's only every few hundred years or so-"

Sheena held up a gentle hand to stop the gem. "You know, I could invite you in and we could continue this conversation inside. Or if you prefer, we can just hang out on the porch all day." she smiled.

"Eh, right." Pearl laughed nervously, a touch of blue growing on her cheeks. All of these feelings, this meeting up with humans- well, _a_ human- was all so new and unexpected. Yes, she was trying to change her outlook on life and become a new gem, but that didn't explain the drive she felt to want to be around what should have been just an ordinary human. It was like there was something else special about her, something Pearl couldn't see but that she could _feel_.

Sheena motioned for Pearl to come inside, and the gem followed. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"No, thank you. Gems have no need for sustenance." Pearl glanced around the home, taking in its appearance and how much it differed from the one bedroom home that belong to Steven. Many of the objects were the same, but arranged much differently. TV, couch, bookshelf, coffee table. And if she followed Sheena, the kitchen was off to the side. The space was not as open as she had imagined it, more so compartmentalizing the different areas based on their functions. Pearl could still remember when humans lived in caves and later tents. When had they become so advanced? It was as if she'd never really paid attention to any of them.

Rose had always been so curious, and Pearl had always followed. That was the only reason she'd ever learned anything about the species. She was always aware, too, when Rose brought around a new one to toy with, but she did her best to ignore them all and simply wait until they became deceased or grew tired of the pink gem. It was only a matter of time, and gems had all the time in the world. Or so Pearl had thought.

"Earth to Pearl?" she suddenly became aware of a hand waving in front of her face.

"Yes?!" The gem took a couple steps back, startled by the proximity of Sheena.

"Or should I say Pearl to Earth. Because you're an alien and all?" The pink haired human grinned.

That nervous laugh bubbled up again, and Pearl tugged at the back of her hair, a habit she had not previously been aware of. "I guess that would be more accurate!" she spouted cheerfully, although truth be told she didn't really find it funny. It reminded her of the jokes Steven told, which she never really understood either.

But Sheena saw through Pearl's polite giggle. "Not much for jokes, huh? Eh, that one wasn't my best." She flounced down on the couch and then looked to Pearl expectantly. The opaque gem settled lightly next to the human.

Sheena leaned back and draped an arm lazily over the sofa."So what's the queen of the galaxy been up to while we've been apart?"

Pearl puzzled over this question for a few moments. She was no queen, that was certain. Sheena had to have know this. What had human speech evolved into? Rose seemed to always connect with humans with ease, but even on her best days there were still things that Steven did or said that she couldn't understand. She had hoped that an older member of the species might be more refined in their speech pattern, but attempting to decipher the meaning behind her words was proving just as difficult as trying to speak to the half-gem that she lived with.

"You okay, Pearl? You seem quiet today. Cat got your tongue?" Sheena asked, trying to coax some kind of answer to at least one of her questions from the strange being that currently sat next to her.

"Cat?" Pearl questioned, glancing around the room for such an animal.

It wasn't difficult for Sheena to notice her confused searching. "No, Pearl, there's no cat." she puffed out a breath, finally realizing the communication barrier, and concluding that this conversing thing was going to be more difficult than talking with humans. "Aliens aren't much for figures of speech?"

"I suppose that depends on what a "figure of speech" is." The gem mentally continued trying to decipher the joke about the cat, which apparently did not actually exist.

The human rolled her eyes as she thought about it. "It's like… saying one thing but it means something else?" she shrugged.

"Why not just say what you mean?" Pearl questioned.

"Because expressions make conversations so much more fun!" Sheena laughed.

Pearl was quiet. She wanted to say something. She wanted to say anything. But she didn't know what, and she didn't know how. She knew so much about Amethyst and Steven and Garnet. But she knew very little of humans, and even less about her new pink haired friend. This was all so awkward and new but wonderful and-

"So what were the cops after you for?"

"What?" Pearl was plucked from her thoughts again.

"That night we met. When you passed me on the road in that Dondai?"

The light blush returned to Pearl's cheeks. She was embarrassed that Sheena had seen her breaking the law. Well, of course she had, that had been the whole idea, right? "Ah... I ran a red light."

"Didn't think you needed to stop because the road was empty?" She seemed so interested in everything Pearl had to say. It didn't seem like she'd stopped smiling since the gem had arrived.

Pearl fiddled with her hair again. "To be honest, I was... chasing after you."

"Me?" Sheena gestured towards herself. "That's so flattering!" Pearl couldn't help but notice a pink hue arrive on her cheeks, and she placed a hand to her own to see if she was really as warm as she felt. "Did you manage to follow me all the way to the concert?"

"No, actually. My other friend, Amethyst, wanted to go. I'm the only one who could drive. Although not very well considering I can't obey simple traffic laws. We got lost and almost didn't make it."

"Everybody breaks a few traffic laws in their life, Pearl." she placed a tender hand on the gem's knee. "I'm glad you made it though. Hanging out with you has been fun."

Pearl nearly faltered at the touch, but she found that it wasn't unpleasant as she had expected. "Why do we always talk about me?" she asked.

"You never ask me any questions." Sheena pointed out.

"Well I-" Pearl held her mouth open, attempting to finish her sentence, but she closed it with a heavy sigh, chewing her lip as she desperately tried to think of a response. "I'm afraid I don't know much about humans, erm, at all."

"Well, I can teach you about us, if you want." she gestured to herself with her free hand. "And about me."

Pearl stared at the hand resting on her leg, unsure of its exact meaning, but finding the touch oddly comforting. "I mean, I've watched your species grow and thrive and achieve great successes but… I suppose I've never really spent time with any of you." This was, of course, aside from Connie, but even then, Pearl was only training her, just as she'd done for hundreds of other gems during the war. It didn't mean she knew anything about the human. Steven surely knew more. The gem realized that she might want to rectify that when she got the chance.

"So that Amethyst you mentioned is probably an alien too, huh?" Sheena's questions persisted.

"Yes." Pearl replied. "She and Garnet and I live at the temple. Steven does too. He's not a gem- not a full one, anyway- but that's a much longer story."

"I don't mind a long story. It means I get to spend more time with you." she gave a gentle squeeze to Pearl's leg.

The gem hummed thoughtfully. "Why not tell me more about yourself, first?"

"Alright! It's a deal."


	6. Chapter 6

The chat with Sheena at her residence had been informative for the both of them. She knew about where the pink haired human grew up, who her parents were, where she worked, and even her birthday and age, though Pearl still wasn't quite sure how those types of human calculations worked. They listened to music, took a walk around the neighborhood, and Sheena even tried to take Pearl to her favorite local coffee shop - although Pearl once again declined to partake in any of the refreshments.

In exchange, Pearl told her about the journey to Earth more than five thousand years ago. About the war. She left out as much as she could about the losses on both sides, and tried to focus on the happier moments. But Sheena seemed to be more interested in the present, about those Pearl lived with. Her friends. Garnet, Amethyst, and Steven, what were they like? That seemed to get Pearl talking.

But afterwards, Pearl found that the familiar feeling persisted, and she was hesitant to leave. She knew she had a home and something that humans might classify as a family, but there was still a pull that compelled her to want to stay. It seemed similar to that which she'd felt for Rose, but that was different.

She and Rose had been through so much together. Rose had taken her in, mentored her, taught her how to fight. Protected her from Homeworld when no other gem would have. They spent millennium in each other's company, they fought a war together. Pearl had been loyal to her until her last day, and even after in taking care of Steven. But Sheena, she'd just met. So why was the feeling coming on so strongly and so quickly?

Pearl did as her instincts bade and sought out the gem who spent more time among humans than even Rose Quartz had: Amethyst.

She lured the shorter gem from her room with the promise of a few gallons of motor oil. Amethyst sat at the kitchen counter next to Pearl, sipping on one of the bottles as she waited for the slender gem to tell her what this was all about. Pearl's head was full of questions, and she wasn't sure which to ask first. But finally, her mind made itself up.

"Why do you spend so much time among humans?" she began. The question was simple enough.

"Well, you were always nitpicking me from the day you guys brought me to the temple. Garnet is always kind of off in her own world. And every time Rose found a new human to play with, I kind of got left alone, y'know? Even if you had been nice to me, you were still obsessed with stalking Rose and her newest "friend", or whatever you call it. So I just went out and made my own friends." Amethyst shrugged.

Pearl grimaced, thinking on the poor ways she'd treated her friend. "I'm sorry, Amethyst. When I came to Earth, Rose Quartz had already begun the rebellion. Everything was militaristic. Strict. Orderly. We lived like that for a thousand years. There wasn't time for fun or play. Everybody pitched in and did their part, everybody worked, everybody listened to orders. Even after the war, there were still so many monsters to take care of. I don't know that I ever really stopped fighting or being ready to fight. There was always more work to be done." she paused. "It's not a good excuse, I know. I've been trying to be better. I'm trying to understand."

"Is that what this is about? Are you just… trying to figure me out?" she took a swig of the engine oil.

Pearl struggled with the answer. She should be trying, she should have always been trying, to get to know Amethyst more. But even now, her reasons for such questions about the gem were for mainly selfish reasons. They were for trying to figure out herself. "Both, a little." And then Pearl realized that what she'd said didn't make sense. "I mean… I want to know more about you so I can know more about myself. I should have asked you sooner. I shouldn't have to have a selfish reason."

"Hey P, if anybody knows about looking out for number one, it's me." she placed a hand on Pearl's shoulder, noticing her anxiousness. "I already knew you weren't just asking to get to know me. I know that's not like you. Especially since you offered me a bribe." She picked up a container and shook it. "Wouldn't really need to do that if this was just a chat between friends instead of a quest for information, would you?"

Perhaps Amethyst was a bit smarter than Pearl had given her credit for. "I guess I'm not the best friend I could be. When did you get so smart?"

Amethyst shrugged again. "Eh, you're working on it. Meeting goals and accomplishing things is part of who you are. Your strategy for achieving whatever this goals is was to talk to me. And talking to me in a timely manner required a bribe, which you provided. Pretty smart on your part too."

Pearl simply nodded. "So what about now? Steven's here, and you and I are on better terms, I hope. But you still disappear, sometimes for days, and you always come back with stories of human events. What compels you to keep hanging out with them?"

The purple gem swallowed a mouthful of oil. "Even with the Ste-man, it can get boring here. Steven, he has Connie, he has you, and he has Garnet. Also he's like, a kid and there's way more fun to be had with human adults. Garnet has- well, is- Ruby and Sapphire, so she's never short of company. And you just want to clean and train. Fighting gem monsters is only fun for so long."

"But keeping tidy IS fun!" Pearl exclaimed.

"Maybe for you Pearl, and that's great. But not everybody is like you." Amethyst pointed out.

Pearl almost made a snide comment back, but she refrained. "But _what_ is it you enjoy about humans?" she pressed, still not quite understanding.

Amethyst sat for a few minutes, a plastic bottle in her hand, thinking about the question. "I think it's because humans are born without a purpose. They have to make their own in life. They aren't born into some role that they were made for. They have so much freedom to do what they want. They can change what they do at any time because they aren't made for any one specific thing. For me, emerging late, I never had a purpose. I didn't find in the war on either side. And I never made it to Homeworld. I was never told what my purpose was. I had to figure it out for myself. Heck, I'm still trying to. Some humans go their whole lives and never find a purpose. I guess that makes me feel better about not having one myself."

Pearl took a moment to let Amethyst's words sink in. It was all coming together, and she was learning more about the other gem than she had planned for. Not a bad thing, but her answer didn't offer Pearl any insight into her own feelings. "I guess that's the beauty of Earth, isn't it? All creatures have the chance to choose their own purpose."

The two stayed quiet for some time, alone with their own thoughts. Amethyst chugged down a container of motor oil and set it lightly on the counter. Her delicateness in setting down the object rather than tossing it was silently appreciated by Pearl.

But finally, it was Amethyst who finally broke the silence. "So what's this really about, Pearl? If it's not about you getting to know me." she prompted.

Pearl hesitated. She'd come here for answers, sure, but she hadn't really planned to reveal too much to Amethyst. Still, the purple gem was trustworthy, and she'd shown herself as more intelligent than Pearl gave her credit for, so perhaps it was safe to speak freely. "It's about Sheena."

"I noticed you've been hanging out with her. What, she not as cool as you thought she'd be?" Amethyst teased.

"It's not that. These feelings, for Sheena. They feel… almost how I felt when Rose was around. But different." Pearl sounded uncertain.

"Good different or bad different?" The other gem bit off a chunk of a bottle that she had drained the liquid from.

"That's just it. I don't know. I can't explain what it is. I just want to be around her all the time. I want to protect her and laugh with her and ride her motorcycle together and run my fingers through her hair. But I don't know _why_. You know about humans Amethyst. WHAT is this? WHY is this?" Pearl made wild gestures at the air, attempting to convey what the "this" was.

Amethyst chewed slowly and thoughtfully on a piece of plastic. After swallowing it, she seemed to take on a more somber air, setting down the half eaten container and folding her hands on the counter in front of her. "It's called _love_ , Pearl."

Pearl stammered, fumbling over her words before she managed to gasp out, "That doesn't make any sense! There's no logic to it!"

Amethyst smacked a hand on her forehead. "Pearl, there's no logic in love! That's just how it works!"

"But how does one know?!" Pearl shot back.

"You just do, Pearl. It's a feeling, it's not always logical!" Amethyst threw her hands up, growing exasperated.

"And how would you know?!" Old habits were hard to break, and bickering had always been a part of their relationship. Despite trying to have a civil conversation, Pearl's own frustrations manifested in her attitude towards Amethyst.

"I dunno, because I've been in love with-" Amethyst's eyes suddenly went wide and she stammered, before seeming to change what she was going to say. "- _someone_ for like, ever?"

"Humans don't live forever Amethyst, you can't have been in love that long." The taller gem rolled her eyes at the dramatics.

"Gems do though." Amethyst mumbled, folding her arms across her chest, in the protective way she did after she'd just revealed something personal. She averted her eyes from Pearl as a darker shade of color flushed to her cheeks.

"Oh." Was all Pearl managed to respond with. She was fairly certain it wasn't Garnet, for obvious reasons. Though Rose had been the one to convince the others that taking Amethyst in was a good idea, Amethyst's particular interest in the other quartz seemed cordially platonic. That only left herself. The gem that Amethyst so much liked to tease and bicker with, the gem she'd trusted enough to be the first to fuse with, and who she'd grown even more affectionate towards since Steven's birth.

"Uh, yeah!" Amethyst said, still not meeting Pearl's eyes. "But like, you were totally oblivious when Rose was around, and even after she was gone, you still couldn't get over her! And now you're just after some chick who looks like her, a _human_ , so I guess there's nothing I could ever do to compare!"

_Nothing I could ever do to compare._

The words rattled around Pearl's mind, reminding her of the similar thoughts she'd had when Greg had become a staple in Rose's life. What did humans have that she didn't? For that matter, what did Sheena have that Amethyst didn't? Why was this all so hard to figure out?!

"W-W-Why didn't you tell me then?" Pearl managed to stammer out.

"Because it wouldn't have mattered." What had once been a pleasant conversation between friends had quickly turned sour. "It still doesn't. I dropped all the hints in the world, and just when I thought that maybe there was something between us, you start falling for some human."

Pearl wanted to say something. That Sheena wasn't just " _some human."_ But she knew Amethyst was right. Every time Rose had tried to introduce a new lover, Pearl would instantly brush them off as " _some human."_ "Is this… how Rose felt?" She seemed to have a sudden realization as these thoughts whirled around in her mind. "Is… THIS… why she chose Greg?"

Amethyst sighed, her love for Pearl and her understanding of humans winning over her jealousy and causing her to actually feel sorry for the other gem. "Yeah Pearl. That's love. Unexplainable, annoying, can't-get-it-out-of-your-head, no logic, love." she sighed again, running a hand through her mane of hair. "I'm not like, jealous or anything. Alright? But I can't change how I feel. Doesn't seem like you can either."

"But I barely know her!" Pearl tried to reason. "And she's a human."

"Didn't you and the other Crystal Gems save the Earth so humans could live here?" Amethyst asked skeptically.

Pearl had to pause to ponder the question, to roll it about in her mind and to actually take time to figure it out for herself, before she spoke. "I always just wanted to be with Rose. And I wanted to be free. Homeworld doesn't let gems be free. It doesn't let them love or make their own choices. Saving Earth was just a means to that. I wasn't the only gem who came here for selfish reasons. Many gems were simply fighting for their independence. They couldn't give a damn about what the planet looked like. But there were many like Rose, who did believe that humans were special and that they didn't deserve to die a slow death along with their planet at the hands of the Diamonds. Rose always tried to instill the reason we fought into all of us, but… in the end, everyone had their own reasons."

"I know." Amethyst said. It was as if her question had only been to confirm her suspicions all along.

The two sat for some time, alone with their own thoughts. Empty and one half eaten bottle of engine oil littered the counter. It had been a nice gesture, on Pearls part. At least she was paying enough attention nowadays to know what Amethyst liked. For Pearl, Amethyst had at least attempted to be helpful. She was knowledgeable about certain things, and Pearl was glad she had come to her for help.

The purple gem finally turned to Pearl. "I love you. Okay? Now I've said it. I love you so much that it hurts all the time. Somewhere deep inside, I don't know if it's my gem or what. It's always been this dull ache. I don't know if that's how you feel towards this Sheena girl. I do know that I'd rather see you happy with someone else than miserable with me." she hesitated before continuing. "I didn't tell you because I didn't want things to get weird between us. I didn't want you to stop letting me lean against you or nudge your shoulder or hug you or all those little affectionate things I've been doing for YEARS. I didn't want us to not be able to form Opal. Again. And when you started returning those little affectionate gestures, I thought maybe you were finally getting over Rose and that maybe, just MAYBE, you might be starting to like me. And when we were working on the drill and we just formed Opal, just like that, it felt like the first time we ever fused. It felt like when we used to have a connection when Rose was still here. So calm and warm and powerful and together. Whole. Like we were supposed to be that way."

Pearl thought back to several weeks ago when they were helping Peridot create the machine to tunnel through the Earth. "That _was_ nice." she exhaled. "I don't know what I'm feeling, Amethyst."

Amethyst whistled. "You've got it bad alright."

"Got what bad?" The tall gem asked, now confused.

"Love, Pearl. That thing we've been talking about? Come on, you're supposed to be the smart one!" Amethyst, despite her recent confession, seemed to be regaining her spirits.

Pearl cracked a smile at the jab. "Well, as you said, there's no logic in love. So I suppose knowing how to handle it wouldn't be my strong suit." It might have seemed that the two had come to the end of this conversation, had Pearl not thought of one last question. "Have you ever loved anyone else? Besides me?"

It appeared that Amethyst had not expected such a question, and she fumbled her words before she managed, "Yeah, kinda, like, a few humans here and there but nothing I would really call serious."

"Would you tell me about them anyway?" Pearl asked curiously.

"Psh, if you're _really_ interested." Amethyst scoffed.

"I am, Amethyst." Pearl grasped the other gem's hands with her own.

The two of them sat in the kitchen for hours after that. Amethyst told stories of humans she'd met, mostly ones that she had developed strong affections for, or those that had expressed their strong affections for her. Her encounters had been many, and her stories spanned a great number. In turn, Amethyst prompted Pearl for stories of those she had fallen for during the war, other than Rose. Nothing had been very long lasting or serious, but it was interesting to find out that Rose had not been the sole object of Pearl's affections for their entire duration together. They stayed together, bonding over stories, until Steven came home for the evening and interrupted. It was good to see him, home and safe, and the truest embodiment of love that either of them had ever seen.

**Author's Note:**

> If you like my work, please consider buying me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/gemology


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